


I like me better when I'm with you

by Ephemeral_Joy



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Autumn, Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Play Fighting, Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-15 05:30:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16927359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ephemeral_Joy/pseuds/Ephemeral_Joy
Summary: "Wanna hang out?"Three words was all it took for Adrien to flee his marble cage and go into the crisp autumn air to meet up with Marinette.(or: Mari and Adrien experience autumn together and he realises a few things.)





	I like me better when I'm with you

**Author's Note:**

> Title: lyric from song "I like me better" by Lauv. (If you've read more of me, you know I'm a hoe for using song lyrics as titles so WHATS NEW?)  
> inspired by ig post: https://www.instagram.com/p/BrFrWfbltLV/  
> edited/not beta-ed  
> This is also not me not ready to cope with the upcoming holidays so I'm leeching onto autumn.

**Wanna hang out?**

 

Adrien re-read the words, making sure he wasn't imagining anything out of sheer isolation in his marble birdcage.

 

**Wanna hang out?**

 

The words didn't disappear, blinking proud on his screen. 

He has known Marinette for four years now, and never would he have guessed she'd take the initiative to hang out with him. Not that she was a poor friend, she may as well be the best friend any person could ever ask for, but she did seem to shy away from making plans with people. Adrien didn't know why, but he assumed it was to avoid disappointment. He understood.

His heart fluttered, going unnoticed by him as he smiled at her idea. Plagg dashed out of Adrien’s bathroom, seemingly coming out of his high of smelling dirty laundry. 

‘What are you smiling at?’

‘Marinette wants to hang out. She's never asked me that before! I think she finally trusts me enough!’, Adrien exclaimed, cheeks glowing. He has gone to public school for four years now, but he still got excited when a simple act of amicable kindness got sent his way. The high walls of the Agreste household were cold and didn't leave room for social encounters. It took him a year (with a lot of help from Nino) to understand social cues and teenage drama.

 

And why girls were grumpy every month for a solid three days. He learned that as well. 

 

Plagg made a noise that Adrien recognized as “uninterested” which now that he thought of it, was only noise Plagg ever made. He wondered for a moment if Tikki was a little more charismatic. 

‘You're life is absolutely boring, Adrien. I still miss the good ol' Middle Ages where people just went for it and killed each other. Shame.’

‘Your idea of fun is disturbing, Plagg. Do you need to see Master Fu?’, Adrien teased, alighting his phone again. Marinette asked him to hangout  _ now _ , not in a few hours! 

But did he even had time? His schedule changed on the whim with more and more photoshoots trickling in every single day. Adrien was becoming more and more desirable for fashion brands ever since he got a growth spurt and his face chiseled out. Yesterday he did a shoot for Burberry’s spring collection, next weekend Hollister is flying him to Hawaii for their beach line. It was hectic, it was tiring, but for the first time he actually enjoyed modelling. 

Especially afterwards when he sneakily showed Marinette behind the scene pictures of the clothing and her she got starry eyed, gasping as she'd ask what the coat felt like, what lining was used, if the pleats were real of just a pattern. Adrien has never been able to answer her, not knowledgeable on the subject, but the girl appreciated it nonetheless. 

Adrien stood up from the couch, opening his bedroom door and making his way to Natalie's office.

 

‘Natalie?’

‘Come in, Adrien.’

The white, steel office gave him shivers, but he pushed through. ‘Do I have any appointments for the day?’

The woman pursed her lips, tapping her manicured fingers against the keyboard. Adrien could see his Google Calendar completely filled in, and he felt disappointment sinking in his stomach. 

‘You don’t. Your father does wish you'd practice the piano this evening. According to him, you've been lacking.’

Adrien suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. What could his dad expect when he was at school for seven hours, modelling before or after school, alternating days between fencing and Chinese  _ and _ do his homework? (And saving Paris as Chat Noir… But he didn't need to know that.)

‘Of course. Thank you, Natalie. Could you tell him I'm out with a friend?’

‘And who is that friend?’, Natalie asked, cocking her head with suspicion. Adrien caught his mistake a second too late. He always said the names of the people, Natalie never had to fish after them. 

Why did he do that though? Was he nervous about meeting Marinette? She was just a friend though…

‘Marinette. You've met her.’

A hint of a smile curbed upon Natalie's lips.

‘Right. Don't forget to wear a coat.’

Adrien didn't answer, simply smiled in gratitude and left her office. Instantly, he unlocked his phone, rapidly texting back. A malicious voice at the back of his mind told him she already found someone else to hang with, like that blue haired boy he's seen her with at the steps of the school. (Lucien ? Lucas ?) 

Please still be available _ ,  _ he thought.

 

**Yeah sure! Where to?**

 

He waited, and waited, and waited, and-

 

_ seen at 11:14 _

 

Why did he feel so nervous? 

 

**The park? Meet you there at 11:30?**

 

Adrien smiled. Another thing he liked about Marinette: she liked being outdoors, as opposed to sitting inside bend over her phone scrolling through a mindless app. A nice walk was just what he needed. 

 

**Perfect! See u then**

 

**< 3**

 

Adrien stared at the heart for a moment, trying not to make assumptions. 

Friends send emojis all the time. 

 

* * *

 

Adrien arrived first, not at all surprised. He got too excited, finally getting to hang out with someone. He left five minutes earlier than usual, sitting on a park bench at 11:25.

It was a little chilly, a cold wind making his legs clench to keep warm. He crossed his arms tighter around his brown jacket (a new piece from the Calvin Klein fall line he shot for in the summer), tucking his chin in a moss green scarf. As he waited on Marinette, he watched mums and dads play with their kid on the carrousel, crooning at the child as it squealed in excitement. Tribes of runners passing by, all bundled up in breathable thermal wear. A lone musician sat at the other side of the park, picking at the snares of his acoustic guitar. It was the most serene moment during the day, right before noon on a weekend. For once, Paris was quiet, calm. Adrien wasn't Chat Noir or a model or freaking out about the upcoming baccalauréat. He was just a boy. 

The boy exhaled. 

‘Hi, Adrien,’ a sweet voice exclaimed. The world shifted back to focus, noise emerged. The boy snapped back into Adrien. He opened his eyes. 

‘Hey Marinette,’ he smiled up at her figure, taking a moment to admire her. 

Her outfit! He corrected himself. 

She was wearing a deep red, structured pea coat (no doubt made by herself), black jeans and shoes. A black beret covered her loose, inky tresses. 

Marinette looked pretty. 

‘I'm so glad you're here! Alya and Nino are trying to rope me in to all their dates but I do not want to be third wheeling while they are kissing each other faces of in at the movies. It such a beautiful day as well - - I’m rambling.’

‘You are,’ Adrien said amused. Over time, Marinette stopped stuttering. But it just got replaced by a waterfall of words. At least he could understand her. 

‘Anyway,’ she gracefully sat down next to him, ‘I'm happy you wanted to hang out.’

‘Me too,’ he said earnestly, looking straight into her eyes. She would've looked away last year, but now she kept eye contact. Her cheeks still tinted pink. 

His heart hammered in his throat, taking him by surprise. 

He knew Marinette was beautiful, but he never actually thought about it. 

Marinette was  _ beautiful _ . 

 

‘I…,’ he breathed, lost for a second. He shook his head, taking his eyes of her sparkling, slanted blue eyes. ‘I did a shoot with Burberry yesterday.’

‘Right, you told me about that! How did it go?’

‘Good. Do you wanna see some pictures?’ Marinette nodded, hands clasped together. 

He scooted a little closer, thick coats pressed together. Marinette’s pink cheeks deepened. 

‘So,’ he said, finding his photo library app and clicking on the folder “shoots”. ‘It was the spring line, so…’, Adrien always felt a little conscious when he showed the pictures. He was just the model, not the creative director or designer behind it. 

‘It’s very androgynous,’ Marinette commented, zooming in on the clothes. ‘I wish they’d dare to play with the clothes though. Burberry has never changed.’

‘They haven’t?’

‘No. I mean, whenever there’s a new trend like shearling lining, they follow it but they never do anything new, you know? I don’t know how many times they can reinvent the trenchcoat.’

He leaned in closer, a wicked grin on his face. ‘What are you wearing then, hm Mari?’

She rolled her eyes, pushing his face back with her bare hand. It was soft. ‘It’s a pea coat. Major difference!’

‘Right,’ he drawled, stretching his arms behind the behind, one casually slung over Marinette’s shoulder. His fingers plucked at her coat. ‘It’s well made.’

She blushed, ‘Thank you.’

The friends stayed quiet for awhile, simply staring at the people passing by. It was nice.   
Nino and Alya hated silence, Chloé was constantly on her phone and Kagami could  _ only  _ talk about fencing.    
It was nice to not talk, to just listen and be. 

‘Wanna go on a walk?’, Adrien whispered, leaning in without taking his eyes of a squirrel that was slowly tripping upwards on a trunk. She followed his line of sight. 

‘Antoine.’

‘What?’

‘The squirrel,’ Marinette scrunched her nose, suppressing a giggle. ‘His name is Antoine.’

‘And you know that how?’

The girl sighed exasperated, standing up. ‘Can I never make a joke Adrien?,’ she peered at him, smile stuck on her features. He followed suit. 

‘Come on, let’s go,’ instinctively he took her hand, dragging her along. He didn’t even realise what he was doing when he looked back and saw Marinette staring at him wide-eyed.    
Shit, Adrien thought, why did he always leave his brain behind at home whenever he tasted an inch of normalcy? But before he could release her hand, she intertwined their fingers. Adrien sputtered a breath, meeting her eyes. Marinette didn’t look at him anymore, instead taking in the reddening leaves around her. He inhaled deeply, matching her pace. 

 

This was normal. Taking a walk with a friend through le jardin des tuileries. Hand in hand. That was normal. 

Right? Right. 

But why did his heart soar and drop to his stomach all at once when she readjusted their fingers. Or when he got a whiff of her scent and his bodu urged him to lean into her, or to sling his arm around her. (Was it her shampoo? Or did she wear perfume?) 

This was normal. 

Calm your heart down, Agreste. You’ve been treated like eye-candy in many ads this year, but simple hand holding is making you crazy?

 

Marinette squealed.

Adrien’s smile grew as Marinette stood on the spot, feet neatly placed next to each other as she pointed at the patchwork of fallen leaves. Adorable. 

‘Look!’, she ran in place for a second, the crunching of the leaves intensifying. Mari giggled.

‘Have you never seen leaves?’, Adrien laughed, one hand jiggling up and down as she was still holding his. 

‘Don’t you love the sound of crunching leaves?’, she stopped hopping, bending to down to pick a handful. ‘Have you never played with the leaves when you were a kid? Jumped into them? Oh! Have you ever been to forêt de fontainebleau? That’s - - -’, she cut herself off, noticing his sullen expression. 

‘What’s wrong?’

‘It’s nothing,’ Adrien said, a feeling a neglect sinking to the pit of his stomach. As much as he liked Marinette, she always reminded him of the life he could’ve had if his father wasn’t a sociopathic work-a-holic, if his mum wasn’t dead, if his home wasn’t a sterile showroom with no sentimental value. It was all fake and curated and nothing was spontaneous. 

‘I just,’ he prompted a smile, but it didn’t work, ‘I never got to, you know, play with leaves or snow or- whatever. My father - he - he never-’

Before his thoughts and words spiralled out of control, Marinette threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close in a warm embrace. He felt her lips on the bend between his neck and shoulder, and her hair tickling is chin and he found himself loving the feeling. A single tear trickled from his eye, tension leaving his body. He slung his arms around her, holding her even closer.

‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered, hands sliding down his arms. He shivered, and not because of the cold. She pulled back slightly, his arms still wrapped around her waist. A memory of them awkwardly slow dancing at fourteen crossed his mind for a moment. 

Marinette confidently placed her hands on his cheeks, sharp gaze on him. 

‘Don’t feel alone, okay? Because you’re not. I can tell how isolating it must be sometimes… but you have fr-friends now, like me, who you can make new memories with. Alright?’, a fond smile graced her face, a thumb absentmindedly caressing his cheekbone. His heart stuttered. 

 

He was in love with Marinette. And not just as a friend. He loved the way she spoke and dressed herself, he loved the way she always stood up for everyone else, he loved the way she caressed his face and held him close. He loved her smile, giggle affectious. He loved her intelligence and bravery and wittiness. He was in love with her so much, he couldn't even bear to think of releasing her from his grip. His heart stuttered and raced whenever she was around. She made him feel completely at ease, but at the same time rove him crazy.   
They fit and it was perfect. 

 

He loved Marinette. 

 

The girl peered at him, nose scrunched up adorably, ‘Why’re you looking at me like that?’

 

He loved her. 

 

‘Because you’re amazing,’ he admitted, hoping his face wasn’t a fiery red from his internal revelation. She blushed. 

‘I’m really not but thank you,’ she mumbled, slowly creating more space between the two. He always whined.  _ Almost _ . Now that he knew how he felt, it seemed quite impossible to act normal around her.

‘So,’ her tone became airy again, ‘ready for your first autumn fight?’

He frowned, ‘Wha- Ah!’

Marinette dunked an entire heap of leaves on his head, yelling at him to not be a pussy. He grinned, if only she knew. 

‘You’re going down, Mari!’

‘Oh really? You’ll first have to catch me!’, she taunted, snatching a handful of leaves from the ground and dashing off. 

He smirked, racing after her. She was fast, but he was faster. Adrien leaped, jumping onto her back as he threw the leaves. She yelled, falling down to the ground, him falling next to her.

Adrien stared at the beauty as she shut her eyes tight, preventing them from getting hurt by the fluttering folliage. Her teeth were bared as she stuttered out laughs. It was whole and uncontrolled and he  _ loved  _ it.  

 

He was in love with her. 

 

She rolled on her side, facing him, the leaves stuck in her thick, black hair. ‘A new good memory?’

Adrien gulped, unable to take his eyes of her. Boldly, he lifted his hand, brushing hair away from her cheek. 

 

‘Definitely.’

**Author's Note:**

> You can scream at me on my tumblr: http://lydias--stiles.tumblr.com/


End file.
